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FOREST AND STREAM. 



[April 3, 1890. 



CARIBOU HUNTING. 



LIVERMORE FALLS, Me., Jan. 6, 1890.— In response 

 to many earnest requests of neighboring sportsmen 

 who read nay letter to the Forest and Stream which 

 appeared June 17, 1889, giving a description of the new 

 camps in Caribou Valley, where several new camps have 

 since been built, I again report through your columns 

 the prospects and results of the new camps recently built 

 there. As a general reply I submit the following, to- 

 gether with a letter received from Mr. A. S. Thompson, 

 who took part in the caribou hunt of which he gives a 

 good account. As all of the readers know, there are but 

 few who have been fortunate enough to get a shot and 

 carry home with them a specimen of our large game such 

 as moose, deer and caribou, all of which are so rapidly 

 increasing throughout this section of the State. 



This winter the open season has in most sections been 

 quite unfavorable for still-hunting, as our first snows 

 were followed by rain, the crust making it a little noisy 

 for the near approach to game, especially so for our 

 favorite, the caribou. I have for several years taken 

 much interest in this noble game, and I attribute their 

 rapid increase over that of moose and deer to the fact 

 that they do not yard in winter, for however deep the 

 snow may be, their spreading feet enable them to roam 

 at will. And they seldom fall a prey to poachers as do 

 moose and deer after the deep snow has 

 crusted over in March. 



"With these brief remarks I submit to you 

 the letter received from Mr. Thompson. 



W. H. Allen. 



shouts of the party "make the wild woods ring." We 

 left them where they fell, and arrived at the camp at 

 12:30. F 



Next morning (Saturday ) we brought them all to camp, 

 and with team from there to Phillips. A pleasant Sun- 

 day was spent at the hospitable, farmhouse of our guide, 

 where congratulating friends gave us a cordial greeting. 

 Monday we took the 9:30 train from Phillips for home, 

 bringing our trophies with us. The motto of our camps is 

 "Welcome to all sportsmen," and "The latch string is 

 always out." As Jan. 1 closes the game season, the small 

 lakes and mountain streams, which are full of trout, will 

 be the spring and summer attraction. This month (De- 

 cember) there have been six caribou taken from our 

 camps. a. S. Thompson. 



THE OLYMPIC RANGE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Is there any place to-day in the United States but what 

 you can find at least one man who can tell you all about 

 it? Perhaps not, but to all appearances the Olympic 

 range in the extreme western part of the new State of 

 Washington is one. 



I have lived within sight of these mountains for nearly 

 two years, and never, in spite of frequent questioning, 

 have I found any one who had the faintest idea of their 



passable for quite a time, but these valleys have an 

 annoying way of ending up with an impassable cliff. 

 Any one starting on this journey should have experience 

 in mountain travel and be prepared to rough it in every 

 way. Very little baggage could be taken, as going very 

 light indeed a mile an hour would be very fast traveling 

 through the woods. One thing favorable is that in sum- 

 mer rain is very rare in this country, yet the heat is not 

 great and there is plenty of water throughout. 



There would be no trouble in keeping the larder well 

 supplied. In the summer of course game is out of season, 

 but the woods are full of streams, which in turn are full 

 of trout, and if the fall was chosen, during which gener- 

 ally the weather it grand, an almost unlimited variety 

 of birds and beasts could be shot for the table. The ex- 

 penses would not be necessarily heavy, as no one knows 

 the region, a guide could not be had even if desired, but 

 no one who has not an instinct for the woods should ever 

 undertake the job of exploring the Olympic rangp. 



Charles Power. 



Maplewood Farm, Jay, Me., Dec. 20, 1889.— 

 Mr. Wm. H. Allen, Livermore Falls: Dear 

 Sir — The following is a description of our cari- 

 bou hunt, of which I promised you a full re- 

 port. A full record of game taken at Caribou 

 Valley and Blue Range Camp will be given 

 the Forest and Stream at the close of the 

 season. On Dec. 3 I invited Messrs. E. E. 

 Coding, of the M. C. R. R., S. E. Perkins, 

 merchant, and J. M. Riggs, all of Livermore 

 Falls. I preceded the party two days to see 

 that the camps were in condition for the re- 

 ception of my guests, and locate some of the 

 large herd of game as a pleasant surprise. For 

 while they were all good shots with wing and 

 small game, they confessed themselves tender- 

 feet as to large game, as was clearly shown by 

 their surprise and wonder when they saw the 

 snow tramped down by such herds of forest 

 cattle. Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock John 

 Shepard, the guide, and myself came out to 

 meet our guests, who would arrive from Phil- 

 lips, a distance of nine miles, by team. After 

 the usual detail of unloading and packing 

 camp necessities, snowshoes, blankets, etc., 

 we took the trail to camp, which we soon 

 reached. In the afternoon we put on our 

 snowshoes and took a stroll, soon coming upon 

 tracks of herds, varying from five to twenty, 

 but as the recent snow (about lOin.) was crust- 

 ed by rain, it was useless to follow. We re- 

 turned to camp, content to wait until some 

 friendly cloud might give us a few inches of 

 snow to muffle our tread and cover up previous 

 tracks. Thursday opened fine but cold, and 

 again we strolled into the forest, Shepard, the guide, 

 taking most of the party under his direction. Fresh 

 tracks had crossed ours, made the previous night, and 

 our guests were so eager to sight the game that they were 

 soon oq the trail. At 10:30 I struck the trail of a large 

 herd of caribou, and was not aware until 12:30, when I 

 stopped at a spring of water to eat my lunch, that I was 

 alone. This spring was evidently the general watering 

 place of that section of the range, as most of the water 

 was then frozen. The snow for acres around it was com- 

 pletely trodden down with paths coming in and leading 

 out. So recent had they been there that the water was 

 yet roily. 



I soon found the path taken by the herd. Taking off 

 my snowshoes I proceeded cautiously along the trail, 

 following the winding path among the mountains, The 

 sun was obscured and flakes of snow soon came whirling 

 among the heavy black growth. At about 2 P. M. J came 

 suddenly upon a straggler in the rear of the herd, which 

 was evidently halting to feed. It was an easy shot, but 

 as there were eight or ten in the band, and knowing that 

 my shot would cause a general stampede, I lowered my 

 rifle, turned my back to the game, and started for the 

 camp. Strange to say, I had not until then realized that 

 I was alone in the mountains, in a dense snowstorm, 

 without axe or compass, but as I had only to follow the 

 path in its windings back to the spring, I was so far 

 right. Again, putting on my snowshoes, I took my 

 course, and at 4:20 reached the eamp to find the boys all 

 in, and as glad to see me as I was to arrive. They had 

 also followed their herd by a circuitous route to my 

 spring, and finding I had preceded them, and observing 

 the storm coming on, had at once returned to camp ex- 

 pecting to find me there. A joyous party did justice to 

 our camp supper that night, while mirth and song was 

 in order, and not until a late horn- were we rolled in our 

 blankets on soft bough beds, to dream of the joys of the 

 morrow, 



Friday at 6 A. M. all were ready for breakfast. Dip- 

 pers of smoking coffee hot and viands rare showed that 

 the cook had something of the "Old Spartan" in his 

 nature, inasmuch as he had prepared us a feast before 

 going to battle. A joyous party filed out of camp to see 

 the sun's first rays stream through the snow-clad forest. 

 Four inches of snow had fallen. A morning made to 

 order could not have been better, knowing as we did 

 that the game I had left the night before could not go 

 far in the storm. The programme was quickly arranged 

 and we were soon on the march, and by a short route 

 reached the spot, not far from which, to our excited joy, 

 we found eight profiles in the snow, telling us the num- 

 ber of the caribou. 



With muffled tread and longing eyes we crept along. 

 Within thirty minutes we came in sight of three caribou 

 quietly feeding along among some fallen spruces. The 

 storm had rendered an easy and near approach possible. 

 At a signal the still mountain woods echoed with the re- 

 ports of our rifles, and those three forest beauties were 

 goon stretched on the snow. Not until then did the 



Woodland Caribou. 



characteristics. I dare, say that if this assertion were to 

 appear in your widely-read columns there would be sev- 

 eral who would smile condescendingly at my ignorance, 

 as they recalled that trip throughout their length and 

 breadth in the year so and so. Be this as it may. I have 

 many a time looked out over Puget Sound and miles of 

 pathless forest at these mountains. When sharply defined 

 against the bright red of the setting sun they make, I 

 think, the most beautiful picture of scenic wonder that I 

 have ever seen. In looking at them I have imagined 

 what there was in that unknown region: what gold and 

 silver lodes, what coal and iron, what fertile valleys, only 

 awaiting discovery to make the adventurous pioneer rich 

 beyond the most extravagant hopes, and last, but not 

 least, what grand shooting. Undoubtedly one could find 

 the latter if not the former. .No doubt elk, deer and bear 

 are numerous in these mountains, for they are fairly 

 plentiful in the country immediately surrounding the 

 Sound, which has been settled more orless for twenty-five 

 years. 



Let no one though think that they are going to win 

 the glory of a Stanley easily. Savage human foes he 

 need not, I think, fear", although there are rumors that 

 the native Indians of these par ts are disposed bo resent 

 intrusion, and twenty-five years ago the Sound tribes 

 killed a third of the settlers in this country; still the 

 chances are the inhabitants there (if any) would be peace- 

 able. But any one who has traveled through the virgin 

 forest with no trail, has only to imagine trees running as 

 large as 24 or even 30ft. in circumference lying in all 

 directions on the ground, interspersed with the thickest 

 kind of underbrush, often thorny, and he will have some 

 idea of the reason why the Olympic range is but little 

 known. As far as one can judge with a powerful glass, 

 the traveling would be easier when one got well up in the 

 foothills, and when half way up the mountains, which 

 are from four to eight thousand feet high, the timber 

 seems to die out entirely, and apparently an abomination 

 of desolation succeeds. It is to be presumed the fauna 

 of these mountains is similar to that of the California 

 coast range, in which, if I am not much mistaken, the 

 grizzly bear is not found, only the black, and I am told 

 the brown bear, but whether the latter is only the same 

 as the black at a different stage of coat I do not know. 

 The elk, as I mentioned before, is undoubtedly plentiful, 

 also the common deer, black bear, mountain Hon or 

 cougar, wildcat, otter, and among smaller fry rabbits, 

 grouse, partridge, California quail. 



Now who is going to be the adventurous man to en- 

 lighten us on all these subjf cts. Any one attempting it 

 could start from Seattle to Hood's Canal, which is a nar- 

 row arm of the Sound, running back near the foothills of 

 the mountains. This he could do in a sternwheel steamer 

 which makes three trips a week up that channel. On 

 arriving at what seems to be the best place to start from, 

 he could perhaps find a trail to some homestead claim 

 near the water which would take a mile or so from the 

 severe iourney entered on. If he struck one of the fer- 

 tile valleys common to thia country, the going might be 



BUTCHERY IN WYOMING. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Several articles have appeared in Forest and Stream 

 this winter in reference to the game laws of Wyoming. 

 I would like to add my mite to this subject. Late this 

 fall, in company with Ira Dodge and John 

 Kirby, I came from Montana through Targee 

 Pass into Idaho. From there we went through 

 the Teton Basin,. over the mountains to Jack- 

 son's Hole. 



We camped near Jenny's Lake. One day 

 while we were returning from a ride to Jack- 

 son's Lake we found the carcasses of six elk in 

 a space of a few rods square, while from the 

 actions of the eagles, ravens and "meat birds" 

 which we saw rise up in the vicinity, we 

 made up our minds there were many more- 

 carcasses near at hand. The sight of these six 

 large fellows lying there was enough. I did 

 not care to investigate any further. Now, the 

 hidps only had been taken from these elk. 

 Not an ounce of flesh had been removed, ex- 

 cept what the birds and the beasts had taken. 

 As far as I can ascertain this is only one of 

 many instances of a similar character. In 

 fact we saw many more elk in that region 

 that had been killed for then hides only. 



A person traveling along the Oregon Short 

 Line to the Union Pacific can see bale after 

 bale of elk, deer and antelope bides at the 

 little way stations along the line. 



Now as I understand the law, a non resident 

 is forbidden to hunt in Wyoming, or to ship 

 any game or trophips from there. Why, then, 

 is there not something done to stop this prac- 

 tice of skin hunting in the Territory? As long 

 as it is permitted to country merchants and 

 Indian traders to ship these hides from the 

 Territory, just so long will individuals be 

 found who will kill the game for their hides. 

 The destruction of game by these people is 

 enough to make any one who is interested in 

 these matters sick at heart. A person who 

 has hunted elk where they are abundant knows 

 how easy r a matter it would be after getting a 

 stand on a large band, to kill ten, fifteen or 

 more. Some may say that this is an impossibility, but I 

 know of over thirty being killed out of one band. A 

 couple of hide hunters who know the first elements of 

 hunting, and can shoot a little bit, will kill more game 

 in one hunt than a dozen sportsmen would kill in two 

 dozen years. 



I for one would like to see a few statistics from the 

 railroad companies as to the number of bales of hides 

 annually shipped from Wyoming, to say nothing of hides 

 obtained in Wyoming and shipped from Idaho. 



At the rate the elk have been killed off in Wyoming 

 for the past few years by skin hunters, five years more 

 will see the last of these magnificent animals outside the 

 National Park. The better policy would be to look after 

 the hide hunters, stop the shipment of hides from the 

 Territory, and let resident sportsmen or non-resident 

 sportsmen kill what they want for camp use. 



One party of sportsmen outfitting in Wyoming will 

 leave more money in the Territory for guides, horses, 

 provisions, and so on, than all the hide hunters in that 

 country. 



Then again, the Eastern sportsmen are not game 

 butchers, and many of them could 7iot kill much game 

 even were they so disposed. 



The moral I would draw is this: Stop the shipment of 

 hides from Wyoming and save the elk, the antelope and 

 the deer. This and nothing else will preserve the game. 



W atervujLE, N. Y., March 28. HaRRY N. Candee. 



Courage of a Grouse. — Editor Forest and Stream: 

 On one occasion, in company with my brother, 1 had 

 gone to the woods and was there to wait for a farmer, at 

 whose house we had stopped over night, and who was to 

 come on later with foxhounds, for we were to try for 

 reynard that day. We had got out of the road which 

 ran through the forest, and over a rail fence, and were 

 standing under a large hemlock when we heard a ruffed 

 grouse in the distance. He came directly toward us, and 

 alighted on the ground about 40ft. away. There was a 

 small gully or water course between us and the bird. 

 Before he struck the ground he had taken about two- 

 thirds of a circle to break his lightning-like flight. As 

 soon as he lit he straightened up and took a survey. He 

 soon saw us, but instead of again flying he swelled up in 

 a most pompous manner. Never had I seen a grouse ap- 

 pear larger or more magnificent. My brother looked at 

 me and I suggested that he snap a cap at him. Neither 

 of our muzzleloaders were charged. At the sound of the 

 first cap the grouse slightly shook himself , but seemed to 

 swell his breast out more. My brother continued taking 

 caps from his pocket and snapping them at the grouse, 

 bringing his gun up each time and taking deliberate aim 

 until nine were exploded. The* grouse seemed.to like the 

 sound and to be fascinated by it, and the scene generally. 

 The man coming down the road with the dogs alarmed 

 him, and turning he ran several feet and took wing, and 

 we heard him going through the thick evergreeus away 

 is the distance,— Dqrp (Schenectady, N. Y.). 



